Egg-tester.



No. 735,027. PATENTED JULY 28, 1903. F. W. WILSON.

EGG TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3- NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

F. W. WILSON.

EGG TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented i'ui as, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EGG-TESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 735,027, dated July 28, Application filed April 8, 1903. Serial No. 151,594. (No model.)

To (0% whom, it may concern:

Beitknown that I, FREDERICK W. WILSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Orofton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg- Testers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in egg-testers, and has for its object to construct a machine or tester by means of which the eggs may be removed from the case or crate a layer at a time and brought into position over the testing-light and then transferred to a case or crate disposed in position to receive the same.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of this type with means for holding two cases, one having the eggs to be tested and the other to receive the eggs as they are tested, with means for simultaneously operating said cases whereby to successively bring the layers of one case or crate into position to be removed and move the other case or crate whereby to receive the successive layers.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the operation of testing or candling eggs, rendering the same more convenient, economic, and expeditious, and to reduce to a minimum the danger of breakage'by handling.

Other objects of my invention reside in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, and in describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and wherein like numerals c of reference will be employed for designating like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, in which Figure l is a top plan view of my improved egg-tester, showing one of the pans or trays and also one of the crates or cases partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view showing the crates or cases in their respective positions for beginning the operations. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detached detail perspective view, partly broken away, of the supporting and operating means for the crates or cases. Fig. 5 is a detail front elevation of a part of one end of the box or case, showing the ratchet and the lever engaged therewith.

-Toput my invention into practice, I provide a box or casing 1, which may be placed in any suitable or desired position or supported by legs 2, as shown herein. At the ends of this box or casing alongv the upper edge I provide tracks 3 3, preferably of channel form, as shown, and I also provide a central or intermediate inverted-T-shaped crossbar 4, which forms a support for the two rails 5 of each track. I thus provide two tracks and on each track employ a perforated tray or pan 6, the edges of which are flanged, as shown, whereby to engage in the channeltracks 3 5 and be prevented from accidental displacement during their transfer from one case to the other. As is wellknown in the packing of eggs in cases or crates forshipment, the eggs are placed in layers of three dozen a layer, the eggs being separated by fillers with a layer of cardboard between each layer of eggs. The transfer trays or pans 6 will therefore be provided with thirty -six holes, one for each egg in the layer, these holes being of such a size as to permit the egg entering only a slight distance, thus forming a seat for the egg while the latter is being transferred from one case or crate to the other and during the time they are held in position over the testing-light. The end tracks or rails 3 3 are extended beyond the side walls of the case or box 1, as seen clearly in Fig. 2, whereby the ends of these rails will project into the crates or cases 7 and 8 inside the ends of the said crates or cases, and thereby efiectually prevent the endwise movement of said crates or cases after the latter have been placed in position. Mounted on the bottom of the box or casing 1 at each side of the center are standards 9 9, in which the balance-beam 10 issupported. This balance-beam is provided at its ends with forks 11, which are swiveled or pivoted to the supports 12 for the crates or Ion out of the inner edges of the supports 12 to receive the prongs of the forks and the passing of the pintle-pin 14 endwise throughthe supports and prongs of the forks. In order that the balance-beam may notinterfere with the crates or cases when the latter are at the lowest point, I form a bend 15 in the balancebeam adjacent to the forked ends. By this means the crate may descend to the full limit desired, as seen in Fig. 2, without the balancebeam engaging the crate.

The box or casing 1 is provided in its two sides with slots 16 to permit the reciprocation of the balance-beam 10, and inside the box or casing 1, adjacent to the sides thereof, are partitions 17 18, having slots 19, registering with the slots 16 and also receiving the balance-beam. The partition 17 is provided to form a fulcrum-support in connection with one of the side walls of the box or crate for the operating-lever 20, mounted on a pin 21, journaled in said partition 17 and in the adjacent side wall of the box or casing. This lever has its rear end extending beneath the balance-beam 10, which bears against the same, and at its forward end this lever projects through a slot 22, provided therefor in the end of the box or casing, whereby it may be grasped by the operator to actuate the same. This operating-lever carries at its forward end a pawl or lug 23 for engagement with a rack 24, attached to the box or casing along one sideof theslot 22,formingameans forholding the lever in the position in which it has been placed. Depending from the supports 12 are bracket-arms 25, to the lower ends of which are connected levers 26, the latter having their other ends pivotally connected to a standard or bracket 27, depending centrally from the underneath face of the box or casing 1. The partition 18 is merely employed that the space between said partition and the lamp or other source of light may be the same as a space between the said lamp and the partition 17, whereby the reflector-plates will be uniform. In the present illustration I have shown a lamp 28, by means of which the light for use in the testing is furnished. It will of course be evident that in lieu of the lamp I may employ a candle or an incandescent bulb or other form of light. To throw or project all the rays from the light upwardly against the underneath face of the perforated trays or pans 6, I employ concave reflectors 29, which in practice I have preferably made of heavy mirrors, as I have received better results from this form of reflector. For convenience in manufacture and cheapness I preferably construct the reflector in four sections which match neatly together.

the lowermost position and the empty casein the elevated position. Instead of opening the case at the top I take off the one side of the case or crate, and when the crates are positioned as shown in Fig. 2 one of the pans or trays 6 is slid in' under the uppermost layer of eggs in case S on top of the dividing partition or layer of cardboard between the layers of eggs, and the pan or tray is then drawn outwardly, bringing the layer of eggs in their filler therewith. As the eggs are brought over the light they are tested, and then the tray or pan is forced on or across the box or casing into the empty case or crate 7, and by holding the layer with the one hand the tray or pan may be readily drawn out from under the layer, leaving the layer of tested eggs in crate 7. The other pan or tray is then used similarly for the top layer of eggs at the other side of the partition in the crate or case, and the operating-lever is then moved so as to move case or crate 8 up into position where the next layer of eggs may be drawn and tested, which actuation of the crate 8 moves crate or case 7 down into position to receive the next layer of eggs tested. Where two persons are testing, one at each end of the box or casing, it will be observed that the testing may be accomplished in an exceedingly rapid manner, as each operator tests thirty-six eggs or one layer at each operation. Even with one operator the time over that now generally required is reduced very considerably. The pivoting of the supports for the crates or cases allows the latter to remain perfectly level while being elevated or lowered, and the rack and pawl securely hold the respective crates in the positions in which they have been placed after each operation of the lever.

WVhile I have herein shown and described a device in the form of a double machinethat is, with two trays or pans and two sources of light, one for each half of the box or caseyet it will be evident that a single machine may be constructed upon the same principle and that this or other changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an egg-tester, the combination witha casing having slotted side walls, a source of light within the casing, and means for projecting the rays of said light upwardly, of a balance-beam pivotally mounted on the bottom of the casing and operating through the slotted side walls thereof, supports pivotally connected to the ends of said balance-beam, bracket-arms depending from said supports, a standard depending from the casing, levers pivotally connected to the said standard and to the bracket-arms, an operating-lever extending beneath the balance-beam,and means for holding said operating-lever in the ad- 'j usted position, substantially as described.

2. In an egg-tester, the combination with a casing having slotted side walls, a source of light within the casing, tracks carried by said casing, and a tray mounted to be moved on said tracks across the source of light, of a pivotally supported balance beam, cratesupports pivotally connected to said balancebeam, and an operating-lever engaging the balance-beam to operate the latter to simultaneously elevate one support and lower the other, substantially as described.

3. In an egg-tester, the combination with a casing, a source of light within the casing, and a perforated tray movable across the source of light on tracks provided therefor, of a pivotally-mounted balance-beam, crate-supports pivotally connected to the ends of said beam and adapted to maintain their level during the reciprocation of the beam, and means engaging the beam for operating the same to simultaneously elevate one support and lower the other, substantially as described.

4. In an egg-tester, the combination with the casing, a source of light therein, tracks carried by the casing, a perforated tray movable on said tracks across the source of light, and concave reflectors for projecting the rays of light upwardly against the tray, of means for supporting a crate at each side of the easing, and means for elevating one of said crates and simultaneously lowering the other crate, substantially as described.

5. In an egg-tester, the combination with a casing, and a source of light therein, of means for supporting a crate at each side of said casing, and means for operating said crates to simultaneously elevate one and lower the other an equal distance, substantially as described. t

I In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK W. WILSON. Witnesses:

H. O. EVERT, A. M. WILSON. 

